CPU Guide

There's More Than Sand Below The Bridge

There's More Than Sand Below The Bridge

With 1.16 billion transistors in a single silicon die, the new 2nd generation Core processor is more than just higher computing performance. Its integrated graphics processor is surprisingly powerful, with the ability to handle popular game titles like World of Warcraft and even the upcoming Portal 2 game by Valve. Besides general gaming, Intel doesn't think that their integrated graphics will replace discrete cards as high end gamers would still prefer to game with the maximum graphics quality setting.

The integrated graphics processor is also built to handle video transcoding, something that most YouTubers or Facebookers would find absolutely useful in this day and age. The new video technology, called Intel Quick Sync, can convert a 4 minute HD video file on a laptop into an iPod format in only 16 seconds. Video transcoding software such as Roxio's Video Copy & Convert and CyberLink's MediaEspresso 6.5 will immediately take advantage of the new processor's Intel Quick Sync feature.

For laptops with the new Sandy Bridge processor and Intel's wireless networking component, users can expect to find the new Intel Wireless Display 2.0 (WiDi) technology. With the new WiDi 2.0, users can now stream video wirelessly to their Full HD TVs at 1080p resolution. This would enable users to share their video content on their laptop at the highest possible video resolution without the need to use a HDMI cable. Besides being a great feature for entertainment purposes, WiDi 2.0 is also great for business users as presentations can now be made in the meeting boardroom without messy cables.

Finally, Intel also announced the availability of Intel Insider, a new feature that gives consumers access to movies on their PCs in full 1080p definition. Because of the built-in hardware encryption technology found only in the Sandy Bridge, Intel is able to collaborate with Hollywood and Bollywood studios to create a protected environment to distribute, store and playback of premium content. With Intel Insider, it seems that the movie industry is taking baby steps towards the distribution of premium content through the internet. Perhaps one day, we'll be able to finally watch a movie premier at the comfort of our own home theatre. However, it may be a really long while before studios begin to distribute beyond the United States and Europe, considering how long it's taking iTunes to even make its debut in the Asian region.

That's all we have for now, folks. Tune in again tomorrow as we bring you more goodies from the CES show floor when it officially opens tomorrow.